By Sharon Atieno
Kenya will introduce Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), in January 2026.
The priority will be given to 10 counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Mombasa, Busia, Machakos and Kisii.
Dr. Jonah Onentiah, the PrEP Programme Technical Lead at the Ministry of Health’s National Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Control Programme (NASCOP), said during a media café convened by the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
“The counties were selected based on incidence of new HIV infection, high burden of HIV infection (prevalence), existence of facilities that have an established monitoring and evaluation system, and a robust antiretroviral programme for the general and key populations,” Dr. Onentiah said.
In each county, 10 facilities will be selected, including initial research sites, referral hospitals, Youth Friendly clinics, and select county health facilities.
Kenya has a significant HIV burden with an estimated 1.3 million people living with the disease and about 20,000 new infections in 2025, according to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC).
“Lenacapavir strengthens our effort as a country to ending new HIV infections by 2027,” Dr. Onentiah said. “It will complement existing HIV prevention methods, including daily oral PrEP, condoms and other behavioral and biomedical options. It expands choice to meet different needs and preferences.”
He highlighted that the injectable PrEP offers a discreet long-acting alternative to daily oral PrEP. It is especially important for those facing stigma, adherence challenges and pill fatigue.
The injectable PrEP was approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2025. It offers protection for six months by blocking HIV from multiplying and establishing an infection in the body.
Two studies carried out on Lenacapavir prove that the drug is effective in preventing HIV infection. PURPOSE One trial was conducted on cisgender women (those who are born and assigned the gender women at birth) in Uganda and South Africa. The study results found zero HIV infections in the cohort. The injectable PrEP was also found to be superior in efficacy compared to oral PrEP.
The PURPOSE Two trial was conducted in multiple countries (Argentina, Brazil, US, South Africa, Mexico, Peru and Thailand) among cisgender men, transgender people and non-binary individuals. The results showed that there was a 96 percent reduction in HIV incidence compared to background rates. Lenacapavir was also found to be 89 percent more effective than daily oral PrEP.
Dr. Onentiah cautioned that the effective use of PrEP is crucial for it to be effective. “The product can be good, but without effective use as per the considerations that you have been given at the hospital, then the benefits will be lost.”
He notes that injectable PrEP is available for all at risk, but a clinical assessment must be carried out to determine eligibility. This includes carrying out an HIV test for diagnostic status; if negative, then an evaluation is carried out to determine possible HIV exposure within 72 hours.
“If we find that there has been an exposure within 72 hours, we can offer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP),” Dr. Onentiah adds.
The PEP assessment is followed by an acute HIV infection (AHI) assessment. This helps in determining whether there have been any signs and symptoms of AHI in the past month. In case of the possibility of infection, the client is referred to come back after two weeks, then another HIV diagnostic test is conducted, and if it turns positive, they are initiated on treatment.
The client is also assessed for the use of any other medications. This helps to determine how the other drugs interact with the PrEP. When PrEP is taken concurrently with other drugs, the interaction can reduce its effectiveness, potentially lowering its protective level, Dr. Onentiah explained, adding that clinicians must advise patients about the reduced optimal protection and recommend additional combination prevention methods such as condoms.
The assessment also involves finding out if the client has medical allergies or hypersensitivities. This ensures patient safety and prevents severe, potentially life-threatening reactions.
“We have actually capacity built our health workers so that they can be able to take the clients through this process,” he stated.
